THE Golden Square semi-finals of the 2018/2019 Zain Bahrain Basketball League will be played following the quarter-finals of this year’s Khalifa bin Salman Cup.
This was announced by the Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA), who confirmed the schedule of the two hotly awaited competitions last night.
The Golden Square is set to feature two best-of-three series between four of the kingdom’s leading basketball clubs.
One match-up is between Muharraq and Al Ahli, which tips off with Game One on February 27. The other pits defending national champions Manama against highly talented Riffa – a series that gets underway with their first game on February 28.
The second games in both series will take place on March 4, followed by Game Three, if necessary, on March 8.
Each game of the Golden Square stage will be played at the Khalifa Sports City arena in Isa Town, the BBA confirmed.
The winners of each semi-final match-up will move on to the best-of-five championship series. The schedule of this final round has yet to be determined.
Preliminary
Meanwhile, prior to the Golden Square, the preliminary round of the Khalifa bin Salman Cup will take place starting this Monday.
All games in the prestigious single-elimination tournament will be held at the same Khalifa Sports City venue.
Two games are scheduled for the opening night: Al Ettihad take on Sitra in the first contest while Bahrain Club lock horns with Isa Town in the other.
Another two fixtures in the same stage will be held on Wednesday, with Al Hala taking on Samaheej and Al Najma facing Riffa.
The winners of those games will qualify for the quarter-finals, where four teams have already gained automatic berths. Those squads include Cup holders Manama and Al Ettihad, who face off in one game, and Muharraq and Al Ahli, who battle in another. The victors in these two fixtures march on to the tournament’s final four. Both these games are set for Friday next week.
The schedule of the Khalifa bin Salman Cup semi-finals is yet to be determined.